


By the Content

by ColeTReed



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen, baby au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-23
Updated: 2014-01-23
Packaged: 2018-01-09 18:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColeTReed/pseuds/ColeTReed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people who matter the most will judge you appropriately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Content

In the heart of downtown Austin, where traffic was busy, the sun was hot, and a certain male in his forties was swearing up a storm as he pulled into a busy hospital.

Exiting a perfectly good Sedan, Joel Heyman slammed the door shut behind him.  Adjusting his business suit, and carrying a small briefcase, the lanky male with slightly greying black hair was jogging towards the E.R.

“Motherfucking Gus sending me halfway across the goddamn city in the middle of noon traffic.  This kid better be fucking WORTH it!  I’m a senior agent, not some goddamn lackey,” Joel mumbled angrily.

Entering through the fancy glass door, and walking into a sparkling hallway without a spot of filth, the male charged forward and made it to the receptionist.  He pulled out his badge, and showed it to the perky blonde nurse.  

“Joel Heyman, Senior Agent of Child Protective Services, I’m here to see the Narvaez boy, and take him into custody,” he explained.  

The nurse signaled towards the cafeteria.  “The thing’s in there.  Please get him, he’s bothering the other patients,” she said darkly, without a care in the world.

His eyes squinted.  “Is that the way you treat a boy that just lost BOTH his parents?!,” Joel yelled.  

Nurse Bondie rolled her eyes.  “Whatever,” she said, returning to her paperwork without a care.

Huffing, Joel moved towards the cafeteria, which was oddly crammed into one side of the room.  On the other side, was a single child, all by his lonesome, without anyone looking in his direction..

“Oh,” Joel murmured, rubbing his eyes, doing a double take.  

Even from far away, the tell-tale signs were there, and he knew immediately why Gus had sent him.

The boy, not any older than five or six, was a thin child, with a pale darkness about his skin.  Black hair was ruffled all over in spots, and raggedy clothes still had bloodstains from the accident.  Though most notably, were a pair of pointed, tipped ears, and a bushy tail swaying back and forth.  

The boy was a hybrid, a product of biotic warfare in the late 2020’s, where the genetic structure of large worldwide populations became mutated with animal DNA.  What had been an attempt at world domination and creation of a pliable, tamable army, had in fact, created a new species of human altogether.  They were faster, stronger, and had specific natural gifts that made them far more dangerous than any human.

Though it was because of that reason, that they were reviled.  Even after the Hybrid Rights campaign in the 2030’s, their race was met with horrendous treatment, and often looked down upon, with glaring, seething eyes.

The world had a better look of them in the last decade, but there was still quite a bit of resentment.

Sighing, Joel accepted the task and began walking towards him.  “Ray Narvaez?,” he asked, as he sat down next to the boy.

Ray’s ears drew back, clearly concerned.  “I’m Ray,” he mumbled.

Joel tried to put on the best smile he could muster.  “Nice to meet you Ray, I’m Joel Heyman, and I work for Child Protective Services.  I…  I guess you heard about your mommy and daddy?,” he asked.

Feeling more secure, Ray’s ears popped right back up, and he nodded.  “Yeah.  Those bad guys killed them,” he said, sadly.

Taken aback, Joel’s eyes widened.  “Excuse me?  I thought they died in an accident?,” he asked.

The boy shook his head.  “Nope.  They called it that, but it wasn’t.  Some guys hit them a lot, with bricks and stuff.  But it’s okay, cuz mommy and daddy said that just happens to us,” Ray said.

“It just…  Happens to you?,” Joel asked, bewildered.

Once again, the ears went straight down.  “Yeah, cuz we were wolf-peoples.  Daddy said people make us go away all the time.  My grandpa got shot.  My sissy was run over.  He says if they die, to not be sad, because, it was just gonna happen.  So I’m not,” Ray said, trying his best to follow that wish.

Joel looked behind them, and at the glares of the people surrounding them.  They were dark, horrendous stares, looking upon the child as though he were a monster waiting to pounce.  Some people actually went to security repeatedly, trying to get the boy removed.

“They’re saying I’m probably going to bite you, like a doggie,” Ray said.

“Huh?,” Joel replied, coming back to earth.

Wiggling his ears, Ray pointed to them.  “I can hear REAL good.  They think I’m going to bite you, see?,” the boy said, smiling widely, and revealing a set of gargantuanly large and sharp teeth.

“You’re, uh…  Not, right?,” Joel asked.

Ray shut his mouth.  “Nope.  Mommy said biting people is rude.  So I don’t,” he replied, in a sweet tone.

Shaking off the oddness of the child, Joel sighed deeply.  “Well, let me explain what’s going to happen now.  You see, because you don’t have anyone to take care of you, I’m going to try and find you a new home, where they can take care of you until you’re old enough to be on your own,” he said.

“Oh.  I can’t just live at home?,” Ray asked.

Joel shook his head.  “No, I’m afraid not.  You’re too young to take care of yourself, and I’m sure you don’t have the money to afford bills and things,” he tried to explain.

“Oh.  Yeah, you’re right.  You know mister, you’re pretty smart,” Ray said, with a beaming, toothy smile.

Chuckling nervously, Joel nodded.  “Yeah…  Well, I am Joel Heyman, the magnificent!  Anyway, let’s you and me get out of here, and we’ll try our best to find you a home right away!,” he said, extending his hand.

Like a yo-yo, Ray’s ears began going up and down repeatedly, unsure of what to make of the hand.  

“Uh…” Ray mumbled.

Joel cocked his head.  “What’s the matter?  It’s just a hand!  Come on, There’s a lot of work to be done!,” he exclaimed.

Still hesitant, the boy looked away.  “Mommy said not to touch people.  Cuz…  Cuz they’d hit me,” he murmured.

Sighing, Joel took the boy’s hand himself.   “There, you didn’t touch me, I touched you.  Let’s go!,” he said, pulling the boy towards the entrance, and trying to ignore the looks of disgust he was receiving from multiple sources.

 

_

 

<A week later>

Inside Joel’s cluttered office, Ray was reluctantly having his cheeks pinched by a large woman, with flaming red hair, done in a beehive style.

“OH!  HE’S SO ADORABLE!  I could just EAT YOU UP!,” Mrs. Sylva said, in a southern tone so sweet, that Joel immediately felt the onset of diabetes.  

“Please don’t eat me,” Ray said, barely able to get the words out of his smooshed face.  

Joel tried not to look.  “So Mrs. Sylva, I believe you and your husband have everything in order?  I can’t TELL you how relieved I was to finally get a call about Ray!  You wouldn’t believe how some people are about hybrids, it’s just so disgusting!,” he replied.

The woman nodded.  “Oh hun, don’t I KNOW it!  Why just the other day, I was telling my dear friend Fran that…  Just because you were born with animal parts, doesn’t mean you’re not human!,” Mrs. Sylva said, in a surprisingly eloquent manner.

“EXACTLY!,” Joel exclaimed, feeling a wave of relief warm throughout his entire body.  A week after taking Ray into his care, not a SINGLE soul other than Mrs. Sylva had offered to take him.  It was becoming to the point where he’d have to be sent to a hybrid group home, and…  Well, that was the VERY last resort he wanted.

Mrs. Sylva patted Ray’s furry ears, and smiled.  “Oh yes.  Just as soon as we have these NASTY things cut off, he’ll be ALL normal again!  Not a single soul will know the difference!,” she said, in a far too frightening casual manner.

Joel’s stomach dropped.

“E..  Excuse me?,” Joel asked, watching as Ray stiffened like a steel girder.  

Mrs. Sylva laughed.  “Oh sweetheart, it just makes sense!  We cut off the ears, take off that tail, file down his teeth, and we’ve got ourselves a normal child!,” she said brightly, as if she’d solved world hunger.

Shaking his head, Joel stood up.  “Mrs. Sylva, you can’t do that.  For one, it’s completely unethical.  For two, the prehensile tail is necessary for normal balance in hybrids, and…  I don’t know if you noticed, but Ray’s animal ears are..  His only ears,” he explained, watching Ray slowly back away from the 300 lbs of pure crazy.

The woman covered her mouth.  “Oh but Mr. Heyman!  Balance can be taught!  He can learn ASL!  Surely being deaf is MUCH better than being…  You know…  An animal!,” Mrs. Sylva commented.

Joel’s forehead twitched.  “No, I think hiding or removing an integral part of what makes a hybrid, and what identifies them as THEM is a horrible idea.  You are nothing short of a monster who knows NOTHING about what it means to properly raise a child.  Please leave my office IMMEDIATELY, and do not come back,” he said, pointing to the door.

Rambling off several “why I never” and other horrendous southern social stereotypes, Mrs. Sylva exited the room, and slammed the door behind her.  As she did, Joel collapsed to his chair, and covered his face.  

“Goddamnit,” Joe muttered.

Choosing the floor as a resting place, Ray plopped down, where his tail and ears fell down as low as they could go.  “I guess I’m going to that stinky group home, huh?,” he asked.

Joel’s hands shook.  

_“I’m sorry kid, it’s all that’s left.  Nobody wants you, because you were born with a fucking tail, ears, and howl at the moon occasionally.  Nobody cares that the animal doesn’t matter, that you’re…  Still human.  It’s just the way the world works.  Sorry, you’re life is ruined.  Welcome to foster hell,” Joel thought, not able to stomach facing the child._

“I wish you could take me.  You’re nice, Mister Joel,” Ray said, grabbing a nearby teddy bear and looking it longingly.  With his tiny hands, he began pressing the bear’s ears down, as if to hide them.  With his spare hand, he tried to push its bushy tail into its rear-end.  

Joel took his hands away, and looked down at the child.  

“I uh…  I can’t really,” Joel tried to explain, which was interrupted by Ray sighing.

“I know Mister Joel, I know.  I know people don’t like me, I’m used to it,” Ray said, using his tiny claw-like nails to tear at the edge of the bear’s ears.  

Huffing, Joel stood up, and walked around his desk, and knelt down next to him.  “Oh really?,” he said, putting on a smug smile, and sparing the bear the wrath of Ray’s wolfy paws.  

Ray tilted his head, and his ears began twitching curiously.

Grunting, Joel rubbed his temple.  “Come on, we’ll…  We’ll talk about it.  Maybe you can stay…  For a week or two?,” he mumbled.

_

 

<Four months later>

 

Joel’s apartment was nothing short of a glorified bachelor pad.  Modern styling, expensive furniture, large electronics, and even a massage chair.  

So it was with great bliss that Joel entered his home after a grueling day of work, throwing his briefcase and suit jacket on the floor.  

“GAVIN, I’M BACK!,” Joel shouted.

From the depths of the house, a tall, blond, lanky lad began running through the house, with Ray on his shoulders.  Ray was laughing hysterically, with his arms wide out, like an airplane.  

Joel smiled.  “Have fun today Ray?,” he asked, as Ray climbed on Gavin’s head, and leapt wildly across the house, on top of a couch, and into Joel’s arms.  

“YEAH!  Gavin took me to the park, and we played ball!,” Ray said happily.

Looking up, Joel grunted.  “You didn’t make him play fetch again did you?,” he asked, clearly irritated.

Gavin shook his head.  “No sir!  We just…  You know, used gloves and stuff!,” he said, clearly fearful of the man.

“Any trouble?,” Joel asked, equally angry.

Sighing, Gavin rolled his eyes.  “No, everything was fine.  We went to a hybrid-friendly park.  There were a few assholes that walked by and pointed, but no trouble,” he explained.  

“Good,” Joel said, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a fifty dollar bill.  “Thanks Gavin, I’m glad you’ll watch him.  You’re a lifesaver,” he replied happily.  

Taking the bill, Gavin stuffed it in his pocket.  “No problem.  Ray’s a cool kid, the LEAST of my problems.  That Jones kid down the street?  Now THAT asshole, all human, makes me cringe,” he said, patting Ray on the head and walking out.  “Bye Ray!  See you later!,” he waved.

“BYE GAVY!,” Ray shouted, waving goodbye as well.  

After Gavin left, Joel hefted Ray on his shoulders.  “So kiddo, what do you want to do tonight?  Movies?  Go rent a video game?  Something?,” he asked.

Thinking momentarily, Ray rested his head on Joel’s.  “Can we just stay home, and you read me a story?  Can you do the voices?  Gavy doesn’t do the voices!,” he said.

Joel smirked.  “I suppose so, come on,” he said, moving towards the living room couch, and plopping down.  He laid Ray in his lap, and pulled out a small book to his side.  Opening it up, Joel cleared his throat, and began reading Ray’s favorite book of fairy tales.  With big, “scary” voices, Joel perfectly re-enacted the telling of “Little Red Riding Hood”.  

As it was all said and done, Joel shut the book and turned to him.  “Want another, I can-”

He stopped speaking, noticing tears rolling down Ray’s face, and his ears flat on his face.  

“Ray?  What’s wrong?,” he asked, wiping the tears away.

Hiccuping, Ray tried to breathe normally, but instead only produced snot, which he wiped on Joel’s sleeve.  

“How…  How come the wolf is always the bad guy?  Huh?  Wolves aren’t mean like that!  They..  They just wanna eat too!  Why…  Why that girl share her food?!,” Ray asked pitifully.

Taken aback, Joel shook his head.  “W…  Where are you coming with that idea-”

“What if they were starving?  What if it was the daddy wolf?  What if he was just trying to get food for his family?!  W…  Why…  Why doesn’t anyone…  Why don’t they want to help them?  We’re not scary!  We…  We’re not,” Ray said, still crying quietly.  

Joel put his arms around Ray, and pulled him tight.

“I know, Ray.  I..  I know,” Joel said, patting him on the back.

 

_

 

<Several Months  Later>

 

Pacing outside the hallways of the kindergarten classroom, on the first day of school, Joel was leaving ruts in the tiled floors.  He wasn’t the only parent there, and certainly wasn’t the only one pacing, but a raggedy man sitting in the floor seemed to take a peculiar notice.

“Holy shit man, calm down, or you’re going to bust a nut!,” the man said.

Joel turned to the man, and found his sloppy attire off putting.  His lanky build, combined with a beer belly and some sort of Aerosmith t-shirt was not becoming of a parent.  

“I’m fine,” Joel replied.

The scraggy man chuckled.  “Bullshit.  So, who’s your kid?  Why are you so worried?,” he asked.

Sighing, Joel rubbed his forehead.  “Ray.  Ray Heyman,” he replied.

Standing up, the stranger offered his hand to Joel.  “I’m Geoff, Geoff Ramsey.  My kid is Michael Jones, and I’m here because I fear he’s going to burn the place down,” he explained.  

Joel chuckled.  “Now why is that name familiar?  Oh yeah, isn’t he the kid that ripped out Gavin Free’ hair?,” he asked.  

Geoff groaned, and rolled his eyes.  “I have to pay that bastard DOUBLE the rate.  Then again, I hear he watches a hybrid, so that boy deserves a medal!,” he laughed.

With his face paling, Joel looked away, immediately disgusted with the man.  

“But Gavin says the hybrid kid is a Saint!  He keeps trying to get Michael and Ray to have a play-date together, but I’m scared at how Michael would treat him.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Michael to death, but his mouth lacks any sort of sensor!,” Geoff said.

Joel’s eyes widened.  “You mean…  You don’t mind your child playing with a hybrid?  That’s impressive, not many people feel that way,” he said proudly.

Geoff shrugged.  “Meh, it’s just stupid to me the way we treat hybrids.  In the end, they pay taxes, just like you and me, so we’re not all that different.  What was it that one famous guy said in the 60’s?  That we should judge people, not by the way they look, but by the content of their character?  Hell, if Gavin likes the kid, that’s all i need to know,” he explained.

Before Joel had an opportunity to discuss the finer points of philosophy, the door to the classroom opened up, and dozens of children filed out.  Eyeing cautiously, Joel sighed in relief as he saw Ray, ears and all, walking directly over to him.  Beside him, another boy with fiery red hair, and a pair of glasses was walking close to him.

“Hi Daddy!  This is my friend Michael!  We played tag today!,” Ray said happily, wagging his tail back and forth.

Michael pointed in Ray’s direction.  “Geoff, this is Ray.  He’s like…  REALLY fast, nobody in class could catch him!,” he said.

While Geoff spoke with the boys about their day, Joel eyed the other parents.  All eyes were on Ray, and many of the kids were pointing towards him.  He couldn’t hear them, but saw the glares.  Then, in all of a second, a large, brutish man with a fiery red beard started walking up towards him.  With a large stature, and a lumberjack physique, the man could have broken Joel in two.  

“Are you…  Ray’s father?,” he asked.

Standing firmly in front of the child, Joel tried to appear as intimidating as possible.  “That’s right.  Do you have a problem with that?,” he asked snarkily.

From the scary lumberjack, came a bright smile of a Santa, and a large hand took Joel’s in a firm shake.  “Jack, Jack Pattillo, it’s nice to meet you!  My son Ryan just LOVED playing with your son today during recess.  He made him feel so much better about going to school, today, and I just wanted to say THANK YOU!,” he said jovially.

Joel began blinking.  “Uh…  You’re welcome?,” he asked.

From the fearful glares, several parents began smiling in Ray’s direction.  Others looked cautiously, but not without a great deal of menace anymore.  As families walked by, children waved goodbye, and wished Ray well.  

“Hey daddy, can we have steak tonight?,” Ray asked, taking Joel in his hand, and pulling him forward.  

Seeing his son take charge, and smile his fangs like the person he was, Joel smiled to himself.  

 _“I see a dream coming true,”_ Joel thought to himself.


End file.
